Cry, the Beloved Country

Cry, the Beloved Country By Alan Paton

Go to this link . . . • Padlet.com/wall/crread2 • Password: Crr22a (case sensitive) • Tap on the screen twice to open up a box. • Type in your name (don’t hit return!) • Type in what you know! • NOW hit return. • (This is like coming up to the board but not.)

Now we will break up into groups • They will be chosen for you. • Once you get your group you will draw your topic. • Your group will decide how they want to present the information. (Keynote is always fine, but sometimes it’s nice to try something new!) • Each member should participate in the creation of the presentation, as well as do part of the actual presenting.

TOPICS • Alan Paton • South Africa • Johannesburg (S. Africa) • Apartheid • How Christian Missionaries changed Africa • Almost every one of these is a HUGE topic by itself. We don’t need to be experts, but we do need to understand basic information about each.

When your group is finished: • Individual research: • Find an article just about South Africa or about Aparthied in South Africa– your choice. • On an index card, bullet point information you didn’t know, or find particularly interesting. • Write down your source • Be prepared to share some of your information. • You will turn the card in to me when our discussion is over.

Presentations and additional info • Think about how this new information will pertain to our new novel. • Based on the title of our book and this new information, what do you think this novel will be about?

Get out your book. • When was it first published? How does this relate to what we just learned about South Africa? • Notice the book is broken into 3 “books” just like A Tale of Two Cities. • Each section is chronologically in order without big changes in time. Locations do change. Book 2 mostly takes place in Johannesburg. Books 1 and 3 take place in rural setting. • Names and places can be hard to pronounce. We will simply do our best • There will be many unfamiliar words because they are native to the area. My book has a dictionary in the back. Check to see if yours does.

Let’s begin reading . . .

Day 2 • Let’s share articles • What article did you find? • What information did you find particularly interesting to share?

Essential Questions • What does it mean to be a family? • Why are familial relationships so important to the well being of a country? • What happens to a country when its basic unit, the family, is destroyed? • What can a country, its leaders, and even everyday citizens do to rebuild and strengthen families? • Why do we fear the things we do not understand? • Does anything good ever come from fear? • How can we prevent fear from controlling us?

Heroic Quest Elements • Our hero has a “calling.” • Gain mentors • Fight obstacles • Enter the abyss • Experience a return • This novel focuses on the disintegration of society and moral restoration.

Ch. 1 • Describes the setting. • Explains the problem.

Ch. 2 (There is a main character list on iTeach) • Main character: Reverend Stephan Kumalo • What is an “umfundisi”? • His wife • Several people mentioned, but not met: • John – Kumalo’s brother • Absalom – Kumalo’s adult son • Gertrude, child, husband – Kumalo’s much younger sister and her family • TheophilusMsimangu – sent the letter

Check for Understanding • What happens when people go to Johannesburg? • How would you describe Rev. Kumalo? • What is the problem he must fix? • We discover some dreams that have died. What is never going to happen now for this family? • Do we see any of the oppression that was so common at this time?

Look at the last 2 paragraphs • Black women • All roads lead to Johannesburg

Parable of the Prodigal Son • Luke 15:11-32 • http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2015%3A11-32 • Allusion

Begin reading Ch. 3 • As you read, look for and highlight/underline anything that expresses the difference in treatment between races. I want evidence of the oppression of Apartheid. • Homework: Read all of Ch. 3-6

Day 3

Teacher Evaluation • DON’T put your name. • PLEASE by honest. Maybe not brutal, but I do want honesty. • Please be as thorough in your answers as possible. This information really helps me. • Hold on to them when you are finished. I will ask someone to collect them for me when it looks like everyone has completed them. • Thanks!

Let’s talk about chapters 3-6 • Reminder: Heroic Quest Elements • Our hero has a “calling.” • Gain mentors • Fight obstacles • Enter the abyss • Experience a return • What heroic elements are we seeing so far?

So what’s happening? • What elements of the Prodigal Son are we seeing so far? • What kind of success is Rev. Kumalo having on his quest?

Small group • Create a collage of the quotes you highlighted (not necessarily ALL of them, and not necessarily EVERY word). • These words and phrases create a MOOD when bunched together like this. Decorate your poster, illustrate it, whatever strikes your fancy, to get the MOOD across in an artistic way. • This will be on display

Homework: • Chapters 7-10 Enjoy! • Continue to highlight any descriptions of discrimination. • Watch for signs of the Prodigal Son.

Results of Teacher Evaluation • Likes: IR, food for extra credit, Socratic Circle, presentations, group work, Padlet, books (over literature book), tableaux vocab • Dislikes: A Tale of Two Cities (break my heart!), Socratic Circle (not sure how to make everyone happy . . .), tests, assigned partners, group work, read/answer questions, • Suggestions: fallacies, debate as characters in our book, vocab using videos, more hands-on activities (acting, drawing, etc.), watch movies, avoid generic vocab activities, essays • Annoying?: Jay, I won’t let Max play with toys, musical assignments, assigned partners • Do I care? Yes, I think?

Chapters 7-10 • Ch. 7: Rev. Kumalo finds his brother John. What has John been up to in Johannesburg? • Ch. 8: What big civil rights protest is happening in Johannesburg that is similar to one that happened in our U.S. civil rights movement? • Ch. 9: Explain the housing issue. • Ch. 10: What progress is made in the search for Absalom?

With a partner: • Come up with a collection of questions about this story. Email or paper are fine. Put both of your names on it. • 5 simple comprehension questions • 5 middle-level, analysis questions (inference, deeper meaning, allusions) • 3 higher-order thinking questions. These are the kind of questions that would open a great discussion for a Socratic circle. Open-ended, no clear answer.

Write a letter • Write a letter from Stephen Kumalo to his wife about Absalom. Most of the news is bad, but you don’t want to worry her too much. What good things can you mention? • This letter should be thorough. He needs to let his wife know what his journey (quest) has been like so far: what progress has been made, what obstacles he has faced, and what the immediate future holds. I should see evidence of your reading because you can mention many things NOT DISCUSSED IN CLASS.

Homework • Read Ch. 11-14

Ch. 11-14 • Imagine the conversation between John Kumalo and his son, Matthew. Why did John look happier at the end of the conversation? • Get in pairs and write and prepare a skit of this scene. Be prepared to act it out.

Socratic Todaysmeet.com • Go to Todaysmeet.com • Draw a card so you know which “session” you will be in today. (Wait for more detail from me.) • Join the conversation you have chosen. • Begin your SILENT Socratic session. • I will be monitoring your conversation and adding questions for you to discuss.

Heroic Quest Elements • Our hero has a “calling.” • Gain mentors • Fight obstacles • Enter the abyss • Experience a return • This novel focuses on the disintegration of society and moral restoration.

Essential Questions • What does it mean to be a family? • Why are familial relationships so important to the well being of a country? • What happens to a country when its basic unit, the family, is destroyed? • What can a country, its leaders, and even everyday citizens do to rebuild and strengthen families? • Why do we fear the things we do not understand? • Does anything good ever come from fear? • How can we prevent fear from controlling us?

Homework • Read Ch. 15-17 (This will end Book 1)

Absalom is big trouble. • What can we say is good about him? If you were to defend him in court, what would help his case? • PADLET!

Ch. 15-17 • We are going to put Absalom on trial. • We need • Absalom • 2 Defense attorney • Matthew • 2 Prosecuting attorney • Judge • Police officer from scene • Bailiff • Servant at Jarvis’ house – Richard Mpiring • Neighbor heard shot – Michael Clarke • Jury

Everyone has a role: • Now “research” your role. • Lawyers: Prepare your evidence and decide what each of you will tackle during the hearing. Use the novel as “evidence.” • Characters: What do you know for sure? What have you admitted/provided so far? Stick to your story and variations should remain true to the direction it seemed to be going in the novel. • Judge: Prepare your role. Use judge terminology, know who to call up and when, etc. • Bailiff: find out what you do • Jury: Research the responsibilities of a juror. What are they allowed to do/not do. Be prepared to follow those expectations. • Anyone finished with time to spare may help others prepare their roles, or read the next 4 chapters that will be for homework.

Let’s trial!

Read for next class: • Book 2, ch 18-21

What types of things did Arthur Jarvis write about? • Padlet

James Jarvis • New and important character (Ch. 18) • Father to Arthur (murdered by Absalom) • His servants call him “umnumzana.” What does this mean? • Did you realized that James lives in the same general area as Stephen? (Dum, dum, duuuummmm . . . ) • In the opening of book 2, James is assessing his land and the effects of the drought. Again, the land is treated as another character. • Similar situation in that his son left for Johannesburg to find a life he could not find on farm. He was also not particularly close to his son, nor did he understand what his son was up to in Johannesburg.

What’s a party line? (Ch. 19) • Arthur Jarvis is compared to a missionary. This gets James Jarvis to think about the dirty, little mission near his house. • James reads some of Arthur’s work. What argument does Arthur seem to be making in favor of the natives? (Ch. 20) • You don’t have to look very hard to find a white person upset with the natives. • The servant came to and was able to provide some information about the break in.

Arthur Jarvis’ manuscript • What is his argument in the selection we were allowed to see?

Homework: • Ch. 22-25

Ch. 22 • Absalom Kumalo is on trial. • 3rd man – Johannes Pafuri (used to work in the house and was recognized by the servant who was knocked out) • Absalom says that he meant to turn himself in, but he was picked up before he did. Believable? • Stephen Kumalo sees James Jarvis for the first time and recognizes him as the white man with the land near his church. Awkward. . . • How does the trial seem to be going for Absalom? What do you think the verdict will be?

Ch. 23 • People lose interest in the trial because there is a new and bigger story. What is it? • Possible 2nd Johannesburg may develop. So much riches to be had (by whites)! • This story revolves so much around the land and what it offers, it is – again- treated as anther character.

Ch. 24 • James reads more from Arthur. Private writings that explain WHY he did what he did. • How is James feeling about it at the end of the chapter?

Ch. 25 • Stephen accidently meets James while searching for his friend’s daughter. (Like everyone else, she lost her way after leaving the tribe.) • They acknowledge what has happened. • Jarvis has a deep and somewhat unexpected empathy for the umfundisi.

What about the sister? • How is Stephen’s sister doing? She said she wants to come back home and regain the life she left. Is she successfully heading that way? Is she struggling?

Cry, the Beloved Country